All this month we are talking to acts that are performing at the Liverpool Improv Festival which takes place between Thursday the 24th – Sunday the 27th of April 2025. Today we find out about the show Stupid.

Tell us about: 

Your latest improv show for Liverpool Improv Festival? 

Al – Stupid is a show developed by myself and Mike Burton and really embodies the  type of humour The Atom is built on. It’s a twoprov show with chaotic and anarchic comedy and lots of multi rolling but it’s built by using ‘Game of The Scene’ techniques originated at  the UCB theatre. 

Mike – Our latest show, Stupid, is as silly as the name suggests. It’s essentially two idiots  creating scenes on the spot, switching and swapping roles in an attempt to keep up with  their own ridiculous creation. 

Your favourite suggestion you have been given? 

Al – Oh man? Best suggestion? We’ve had conversations with the audience In previous  shows and we pull premises from that. We had a regular called Molly who never failed to  give us a crazy story. We also had The Queen of Scotty Road share a story at one of our  other shows, she told us how she got kicked out of Primark for shoplifting. That produced  some funny stuff. 

Mike – Probably ‘Jim Carrey’ because it allowed me to bust out the Jim Carrey impression  I’ve been doing since I was six years old to make friends. 

Your favourite venue to perform at: 

Al – We perform at VideOdessy in Toxteth at the moment and we love that space. It’s an  old TV studio that’s been converted into a retro video shop and arcade. It’s really  idiosyncratic and there’s something really kitch about doing improv next to a bunch of  dusty old videos. Our audiences love it too. 

Mike – VideOdyssey is a hidden gem (oops, cat is out the bag now). Not only is it a great  space to perform and it’s walls are lined with thousands of VHS tapes, but it also has a  “slung on” feel about it which really works for our shows. 

Improv Hero 

Al- Well, I know Mike loves Adam Meggido. He was hugely influential on him. I’m a big  Sebastian Conelli fan. We’ve both been fortunate to be taught by our hero’s too. Will Hines and Jim Woods absolutely kill us. I also think Lola Rae Maxwell is outstanding. 

Mike – I love the Showstoppers, The School of Night and the London Improvathon people. They opened my eyes to improv. Meeting and performing with people from UCB has been  amazing too. 

Dream venue to play at:

Al – Dream venue! I think the Soho theatre in London would be great! I’d love to take this  show to UCB Franklin in LA too… But by that same token we’d settle for Coopers or The  Blob shop. 

Mike – Wembley Stadium. Imagine asking 90,000 people for a one word suggestion.

Describe the feeling you get when you walk on stage to do a show:

Al – It depends on the show. It used to be fear a lot. It can still be if it’s a mixed team that  I’m not used to playing with but I never have that with Mike. We’ve really found a groove  with the format. 

Mike – It’s a cocktail of fear, excitement, focus and a dash of lime. 

Al – Yeah it drives me mad when people forget the line. 

The hardest improv suggestion to perform and why: 

Al – I think it’s possible to work with any suggestion. The only time it’s an issue is if the  audience tries to be funny by saying something edgy.

Mike – Not so much suggestions, but we’ve had people tell us stories about mental illness  and we generally refuse to use them. 

Essential items you always take with you to a show? 

Al – A timer! Our shows are fairly concise but beyond that, the beauty of improv is that we  only need some chairs and our dumb minds. Oh and the lime. 

Mike – DON’T FORGET THE LIME! Lightweight shoes – a personal preference. I like to  feel light on my feet. 

Describe your fans in three words: 

Al – FANS!? Oooof.  Ridiculous, charming people. 

Mike – Fun, friendly and forgiving. 

What we can look forward to from you this year: 

Al – MORE STUPID! We’re aiming to do a few festivals, we’ll have done Edinburgh improv fest just before LIF. I mean we’d love to take it to fringe, Berlin improv even Glasto. The  Atom has tons of shows and workshops planned for 2025 not just Stupid, we have a show  called House Guests where we bring in friends from across the globe, we’ll have Billy  Merrit in town just before the festival and a few planned for the summer too and we’re  developing something fun with our pal Becky Webb. 

Mike – We’ve got plenty of shows coming up in the city and we’re always looking for new  adventures so please give us a shout if you fancy having us! 

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